PM 2012-14

National Institute for Lifelong Education | NO. 9. 2012

Rebirth
of

NILE

Contents

04

05

09 Prologue
03 | The New Road for NILE in 2012 (Un-Sil Choi, President, National Institute for Lifelong Education) 04 | 5 Promises of NILE

NILE, First StepRebirth of NILE

05 | NILE to the World ADEA Korea-Africa Day Promoting Cooperation with African Countries on Lifelong Education NILE Attended ASEM Lifelong Learning Forum 07 | NILE Center for Multicultural Education NILE Running the National Center for Multi-cultural Education 08 | NILE Becomes a Hub for Lifelong Education Network New Start of 8 New Lifelong Learning Cities in 2012 A Launch of Linkage and Cooperation Between NationalProvincial Institutes for Lifelong Education 09 | Brief News Celebration for NILEs New Nest

NILE, Second Step New Generation of Adult Literacy Education in Korea

10 | Current Policy Status Adult Literacy Education Lights Up This Land Trend and Task of the Recognition of Academic Background for Adult Literacy Education (Assistant Professor Joon Heo, Department of Education, Yeongnam University) 12 | A Real-life Example of Korean Adult Literacy Education Bo-Chul Hwang, an Adult Learner, Found a New Joy in Life After Impressive Graduation 13 | Current Status of Lifelong Education Current Status of Illiterates and the Adult Literacy Education Support Plan

Publisher : Un-Sil Choi (President, NILE) Publishing Date : July 31, 2012 National Institute for Lifelong Education 2557, Nambusunhwanro, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea Tel : +82-2-3780-9700 Fax : +82-2-2070-3142 Email : global@nile.or.kr Homepage : http://eng.nile.or.kr

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Prologue

ThE NEw Road foR NILE IN 2012

ational Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE), as a pivotal institution of national lifelong education, has been ceaselessly striving for the past four years to become a powerhouse of creative learning. The institute laid a foundation to fully perform six areas and nine functions of national education by beginning to operate the National Center for All Parents and National Center for Multi-cultural Education. Lifelong education is a necessary and sufficient condition of the national life and is functioning as a hub that links every area of life at the national, regional, and various site levels. We have passed through the ages of school education and lifelong education and are now heading towards the age of lifelong learning. The NILE has been leading the sustainable development of education. As it was witnessed in the recent ASEM held in Demark, Koreas lifelong education is attracting the worlds attention and is leading lifelong education of the world in international organizations such as UNESCO. At this critical time, the calling and task of the times demand the renewal of our role and vision. I, who have personally written and witnessed the history of this institute while treading the path of lifelong education through life, was deeply moved when the NILE was launched and am renewing my determination to keep this institute moving forward. I will make sure that the NILE realizes the ultimate goal of lifelong education, which is to improve the peoples quality of life. I believe there will not be any different opinion in that goal despite of the differences in ideology and procedure. When the NILE was established, I promised that the NILE will assume the following five roles for the third leap of lifelong education: NILE as the lifeline, NILE as a friend, NILE the stylish, NILE the national representative, and NILE as the world. I also pledged utmost efforts to establish the third basic plan for the promotion of lifelong education and establish a vision and blueprint for lifelong education at the national level in 2012. I believe in the inherent lifelong learning energy of Korean people.

Koreans from a fetus in the mothers womb to a body under the sod are endowed a gene for lifelong learning. The NILE will make much of such lifelong learning DNA of the people. We will endeavor to become a generator of lifelong learning of the people, which is revealed as learning energy. By doing so, the NILE will propose a vision to heal chronic and incurable social diseases such as employment issue, welfare issue, and educational issue by using an alternative medicine called lifelong learning. We will solve mothers employment and childrens education issues and become a stepping stone to solve the youth unemployment issue with lifetime employment through lifelong learning. We will lead social unification through lifelong learning. We will take the responsibility of lifelong education for homo hundreds, people whose lifespan will reach 100 years on average in the near future. All of these are possible only when the family of lifelong education works together. The term national represents the nations trust. Hence, it puts weight on my shoulders with heavy responsibilities. After passing through the quantitative era (version 1.0 of lifelong education) and qualitative era (version 2.0), the NILE will lead the value era (version 3.0). Also, it will play a pivotal role to promote, manage, and bear the fruit of lifelong education.

(Un-Sil Choi, President, National Institute for Lifelong Education)

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5 PRomISES of NILE
NILE is your lifeline.
NILE will become the lifeline that propagates the value of learning throughout Korea. It will take the lead in supporting lifelong education in order to strengthen the educational capability of 10 million parents children and solve regional education issues to promote social integration.

NILE is your friend.

NILE will be your friend. Please feel free to knock on the door of NILE anytime if you have the passion to learn. You will get answers to your questions related to lifelong education at the NILE Service Center (NSC), an integrated consultation service center.

NILE is stylish.
Do you want to have a splendid life? Then NILE will help you. It will make cultural and liberal education popular and help you design a new life.

NILE is a national representative.

NILE, as a pivotal institution for the nations lifelong education, will establish and execute a grand plan for the promotion of national lifelong education. It will do its best to enhance its function as a professional consulting institution of lifelong education and foster lifelong education professionals.

NILE is the world.

NILE will become a global institution. Since the concept of lifelong education originated from Korea, NILE will strive to expand lifelong education in the third world and strengthen the ties with international organizations such as UNESCO.

NILE declared the following 5 Promises for the third leap of lifelong education.

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NILE, First Step - Rebirth of NILE

NILE To ThE woRLd

ADEA Korea-Africa Day Promoting cooperation with African countries on lifelong education

nder the auspices of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), KoreaAfrica Day event and ADEA Triennale were held from February 12-15, 2012 at the Ouaga 2000 Conference Center, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso with representatives from 54 African countries. As this ADEA Triennale named the preliminary event as the ADEA KoreaAfrica Day, the ADEA officially invited Korea and 48 visitors from related organizations attended the event. The National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE) made a presentation on 60 years of a lifelong learning history of Korea, and discussed the evaluation on success factors for eradicating illiteracy and how they can be applied to Africa with participants including the basic education and literacy minister of Burkina Faso. Furthermore, at a meeting with Korean representatives, the education minister asked Koreas support for eradicating adult literacy in Burkina Faso. The NILE also discussed cooperative plans related with adult literacy and lifelong education system with ministers of education from Kenya, Cameroon, DR Congo and Ethiopia at multilateral talks. Also, the NILE discussed collaboration projects and signing of MOUs with institutions such as ADEA and ACEF (African Culture and Education Foundation).

Attendance at the ADEA Korea-Africa Day event

The NILE is planning to start numerous projects on consultation of establishing the lifelong education system, propagation of literacy, education experience, and establishment and operation know-hows of regional lifelong learning centers in ADEA member countries in order to spread and disseminate Koreas lifelong education system. The NILE will invite African experts on lifelong education to various lifelong education related meetings the institute plans to host in order to lay a foundation for future cooperation projects.

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NILE Attended ASEM Lifelong Learning Forum

The National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE) attended the 2012 ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Lifelong Learning Forum held in Copenhagen, Denmark from May 29-30. The theme of this forum, which was co-sponsored by the Danish Ministry of Education and Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) and co-organized by ASEM Lifelong Education Hub (LLL Hub), Aarhus University, and NILE, was Learning Unlimited. The seminar was held under the following eight themes: e-learning, workplace learning, strengthening professionalism of adult teachers and educators, national strategies, core competences, and best practices of Korean lifelong learning. Along with attending the seminar and forum, the NILE operated a booth to introduce Koreas MEST and NILE and our policies through a promotional video clip and leaflets and organized various events such as trying on hanbok (Korean traditional clothes), taking Polaroid photos, and handed out Korean traditional craft items as souvenirs to international participants. The NILE also had a chance to observe the conditions of Northern Europes guidance counseling and job training for juveniles by visiting Juvenile Guidance Counseling Center, Copenhagen Job Training School, and Omnia Vocational School.

Attendance at the ASEM Lifelong Learning Forum

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NILE CENTER foR mULTICULTURaL EdUCaTIoN

NILE Running the National Center for Multicultural Education

he National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE) was designated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) as an organization to run the National Center for Multi-cultural Education. The National Center for Multi-cultural Education is an organization that develops and executes studies on multicultural education policies and other related projects on a national scale. The MEST accepted applications from institutions in order to select a competent organization that can pursue systematic advancement of education for multicultural students, which is an important project implemented by the ministry. The NILE was selected as the organization to run the National Center for Multicultural Education because of its operation and management abilities to deal with various multicultural education supporting projects as well as its competence to create synergy with existing policies including the National Center for All Parents, Center for NILE Professional Competence Development, and Lifelong Learning Account System. The NILE is seeking to grow into a leading organization of multicultural education to nurture creative talents and establish a systematic national-scale implementation plan in the multicultural

First training workshop for multicultural education professionals

First training workshop for multicultural education professionals

society. By doing so, the institute looks forward to contributing to build a harmonious multicultural society through specialization and facilitation on multicultural education. In addition, the NILE is planning to establish a network and liaison of central-regional multicultural education centers, and develop various site-oriented multicultural education policies and projects through active utilization of human and material resources of organizations.

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NILE BEComES a hUB foR LIfELoNg EdUCaTIoN NETwoRK

New start of 8 new lifelong learning cities in 2012
The 2012 Conference of launching projects for new lifelong learning cities was held at the National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE) on Wednesday, May 16. Interested persons from eight new lifelong learning cities (Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul; Busan Jin-gu, Busan; Dong-gu, Daejeon; Buk-gu, Ulsan; Pocheonshi, Gyeonggi province; Donghae-shi, Gangwon province; Dangjin-shi, Chungnam province; Pohang-shi, Gyeongbuk province) gathered and shared project plans of each city and discussed the direction for future development. With the addition of 8 cities newly designated as lifelong learning cities in 2012, there are now 90 lifelong learning cities in Korea. As most of the cities selected this year have prepared for a long time in order to be designated as lifelong learning cities, NILE look

forward to seeing new ideas and great passion that enable those new lifelong learning cities to surpass the cities that have been chosen already as lifelong cities.

A launch of linkage and cooperation between National-Provincial Institutes for Lifelong Education
The National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE) cohosted the First Meeting of Presidents of National-Provincial Institutes for Lifelong Education with provincial institutes for lifelong education in Busan, Daejeon, Gyeonggi, Chungbuk and Chungnam on Wednesday, May 23. Presidents and key people from provincial institutes including President Un-Sil Choi of the NILE attended the meeting and had for the first time a discussion on the establishment of mutual linkage and cooperation. The discussion was mainly about the establishment of a cooperation system such as Council for National Lifelong Education Institutes (tentative). Currently, there are five provincial institutes for lifelong education, and Jeju and Gyeongnam are preparing to launch similar institutes within this year. Accordingly, all the participants agreed that the cooperation among national and provincial institutes for lifelong education is becoming more critical in order to effectively

establish and implement a regional lifelong education system. It is also necessary to work together to organize a consultation body and develop joint projects for the promotion of regional lifelong education. The participants agreed to first organize a consultation body for key working-level officials of national-provincial institutes for lifelong education and materialize the formation and operation method of such organization for stable and expansive operation of the Council for National Lifelong Education Institutes (tentative) in the future.

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Brief news

CELEBRaTIoN foR NILES NEw NEST

Declaration of 3.0 New Era of lifelong education From quantitative era/ qualitative era to value era
The NILE held an event to celebrate relocating of its office at the new office in Seocho-dong, Seoul on Friday, June 15.

New office in Seocho-dong, Seoul

At the site of NILE relocation celebration

At the site of NILE relocation celebration

Ung-Gweon Kim(Vice Minister of Education, Science and Technology)

NILE Service Center (NSC)

workspace

workspace

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NILE, Second Step - New Generation of Adult Literacy Education in Korea

Current policy status

adULT LITERaCy EdUCaTIoN LIghTS UP ThIS LaNd

Trend and Task of the Recognition of Academic Background for Adult Literacy Education.
education program of a nonprofit private organization for literacy education can also be designated as a program for the certification of educational achievement. Qualifications for literacy teachers are minimized and experience at any literacy education site is also recognized. The literacy curriculum also actively reflects the characteristics and demands of adult literacy learners. Since the National Institute for Lifelong Education was established in February 2008, efforts have been made to create a system for the recognition of academic background for adult literacy education. First, the council committee of literacy education was organized to deliberate matters related to the system for the certification of educational achievement for adult literacy education. Through this committee, curriculum criteria for the certification of educational achievement for adult literacy education and detailed qualifications for literacy teachers were established and adult textbooks were certified. Training elementary literacy teachers, which was spearheaded by the National Institute for Lifelong Education, was carried out every year. The system for the certification of educational achievement for adult literacy education was first implemented in 2011 starting with Seoul and Daejeon. Literacy education was not a matter of interest to the government and no relevant policies were made since the 1960s. The past five years were an important period to make up for the dark age of literacy education system and policies and establish future-oriented literacy education policies. Although implementation of the system for the recognition of academic background for adult literacy education did achieve tangible results, there is still a long way to go. Having said this, the system for the recognition for adult literacy education has several challenges to overcome. First, as it is the system for certification of educational achievement to guarantee the citizens right to learn, it should be implemented nationwide so that less-educated adults can receive universal benefits. For such task, it is critical to establish an aligned system and solidify financial resources. Adult literacy education was already stipulated as a compulsory education in the Education Act legislated in 1949. Therefore, it is the governments

very meaningful event was held at the NH Art Hall in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on February 21, 2012. On this day, 354 adult students received the certificate of elementary education. At the Daejeon Lifelong Learning Center on December 22 of last year, 62 adult students received a certificate equivalent to the elementary school graduation. Those were the moments when the program for the recognition of academic background for adult literacy education was first implemented in Seoul and Daejeon in accordance with the Lifelong Education Act revised in 2011. The effort for the recognition of academic background for adult literacy education started several years ago. Since the Ministry of Education&Human Resources Development started its support for the literacy education program and agencies through the adult literacy education support project, the certificate of education for adult literacy learners became an important issue and was an actively discussed factor when the Lifelong Education Act was revised in 2007. As a result, an article, which stipulates central and local governments obligation to support the education for learning characters and the certification of educational achievement, was included in the Lifelong Education Act revised in December 2007. Special conditions of adult literacy education, which is different from regular schooling for children and teenagers, were actively considered in the system for the certification of educational achievement for adult literacy education. For instance, a literacy

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responsibility to support literacy education for less-educated adults and guarantee to provide education up to a certain academic level. Second, while respecting professionalism and history of private literacy education organizations, the recognition of academic background should be institutionalized. For such task, the central and local government should look at private organizations as policy partners instead of subjects of administrative management. Expectations of literacy education organizations on the front line are big regarding the system for the certification of educational achievement for adult literacy education, but there are also concerned voices. Organizations are concerned that the private domain will shrink and the tradition and meaning of literacy education will tarnish by institutionalization. Third, the current system for the recognition of academic background should be expanded and developed into an alternative system for the certification of educational achievement for adults. In other words, an adult-friendly system should be established for the certification of educational achievement for not only elementary school but middle school, high school, and ultimately college. Fortunately, a road to the certification of educational achievement that reflects conditions and demands of adult learners has opened owing to the implementation of the system for the certification of educational achievement for adult literacy education. However, ways for adult learners to achieve a certificate are still very limited. Lastly, the system for the recognition of academic background should develop into a direction that reflects the diversity of literacy education and strengthens its capacity. For such task, diversification of literacy curriculum, continuous training of literacy teachers, and acceptance of multicultural values are necessary. Literacy learners are not only limited to low-educated adults but will also expand to immigrant women through international marriage, foreign workers, the disabled, prison inmates, and juveniles outside school. Also, learners demands will not just remain in obtaining the certificate but expand to entering school, employment, self-development, and civic participation.

Literacy education is not just a welfare issue but a basic learning right of the people stated in the Constitution. Considering this, the system for the recognition of academic background for adult literacy education is not a mere system to achieve a certificate. It is a system through which the government recognizes learning experience of literacy learners for the first time. To those learners, the certification of educational achievement is the first bill of right for learning. Therefore, the system for the certification of educational achievement for adult literacy education should not be the end of literacy learning but evolve into the start of new learning that leads literacy learners to the road to an independent and enriched life.

Assistant Professor Joon Heo, Department of Education, Yeongnam University

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A real-life example of Korean adult literacy education

Bo-ChUL hwaNg, aN adULT LEaRNER,

foUNd a NEw Joy IN LIfE afTER ImPRESSIvE gRadUaTIoN

Bo-Chul Hwang was illiterate until she was 70 years old and became a lifelong learner. She has been studying every day for nine years since she started to study Korean at Mothers School of Purun Citizen Community. She now has a new life with the elementary school graduation certificate she received through a program that helps students understand Korean characters and presents a certificate of elementary education. What made you to participate in Mothers School of Purun Citizen Community Bo-Chul Hwang I lived alone for 50 years in an inland rural village of Gyeongsang province, but moved to my childrens house in Seoul as I became too weak to live alone and farm. While living a not-so-exciting life in Seoul, my youngest daughter told me about Purun Citizen Community and I started its lifelong education program when I was 71 years old. Since then, I went to every single class, rain or shine. What you have gained while participating in Mothers School of Purun Citizen Community Nowadays, everyone receives an elementary school graduation certificate through compulsory education. However, there were many people who could not read when I was little because they could not afford to school. I feel proud that I received the graduation certificate from Mothers School and now can read and write. This program encouraged me to live as a happy person for the rest of my remaining life. Even my own children did not understand how difficult it was for me to live as an illiterate, but I found happiness in teachers who understood how I felt to be an illiterate and taught me well. I feel so much better now since my anxieties have been removed. There are still many illiterates in Korea and I hope they muster up their courage and enter this school. Unique characteristics of the program It did not only teach Korean characters but helped me build up my confidence. I have also learned how to write poems and people praised me as I was showing progress in learning. I am thinking of getting a book of poems published. I have already written my autobiography although there is nothing so special about my life. There is no great teacher than my teachers at Mothers School. I am very thankful for being able to continue studying after receiving the graduate certificate because the school made a post-graduation course. Difficulties when attending the class It was not difficult for me at all. On the contrary, teachers seemed to be facing a lot of financial difficulties and it broke my heart. Also, there were many volunteers who helped us and my heart goes out to them. Future plans I am learning Math and English now. I have decided to volunteer twice a month because I thought it is time to share what I have learned. I am planning to continue volunteering. And I will also continue to go to Mothers School until I can stand up on my own two legs and continue to learn more and share more.

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Current status of lifelong education

CURRENT STaTUS of ILLITERaTES aNd ThE adULT LITERaCy EdUCaTIoN SUPPoRT PLaN
According to the Survey on the basic literacy of Korean citizens conducted by the National Institute of the Korean Language (NIKL) in 2008, 620,000 were illiterates who could not read and write at all and 198 were semi-illiterates who could read letters and words but could not comprehend sentences. About 7% of the total population is having difficulties due to the lack of basic ability that is necessary for everyday life. Also, according to the survey conducted by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS), there are 5,770,000 people above the age of 20 who failed to acquire a graduation certificate for elementary and secondary education. This can be interpreted that every citizen is a potential demander who needs literacy education and is subjected to receive basic educational support that helps him/her realize his/her rights to receive education. Demanders of adult literacy education have expanded to foreign residents due to the phenomenon of multiculturism. According to the survey conducted on domestic foreign residents by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security in 2011, 1,650,000 foreign residents live in Korea, which is 2.5% of the total registered resident population. The number has increased by 11% from 2010 and shows that potential demanders of literacy education will grow every year. On the other hand, the number of foreign workers has been decreasing for the past three years but the numbers of international marriage immigrants, persons naturalized through marriage, and children of foreign residents have been increasing. The status of project for supporting adult literacy education by year demonstrates that the state subsidy increased from 820 million won (2008) to 3 billion won (2011). Since 2008, the amount of investment made to literacy education organizations by local governments exceeded that of the state subsidy. The number of participating local governments increased every year, with 61 in 2006, 108 in 2007, 118 in 2008, 130 in 2009, 134 in 2010, and 129 in 2011 and now more than 50% of local governments take part in the adult literacy project. The number of selected literacy education organizations increased from 178 in 2006 to 439 in 2008 but decreased to 360 in 2011. The number of learners increased from 14,668 in 2006 to 25,579 in 2008 and 20,135 in 2011. A total of 120,000 learners participated during the six-year period. Projects for supporting adult literacy education achieved continuous quantitative growth in 2010 and substantial outcome had been obtained in many areas by continuous promotion of policies since 2006.

Changes in the numbers of foreign workers, international marriage immigrants, persons naturalized through marriage, and children of foreign residents (2009-2011)*
700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 126 125 142 70 41 57 151 576 559 553

(Unit: 1,000persons) 2009 2010 2011

108 122

foreign workers International marriage immigrants

Persons naturalized through marriage

Children of foreign residents

*Ministry of Public Administration and Security (2011)

Status of project for supporting adult literacy education in 2006-2011*

Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 State subsidy 1.375,000,000 won 1,800,000,000 won 2,000,000,000 won 2,000,000,000 won 2,000,000,000 won 1,800,000,000 won Investment made by local governments 828,644,150 won 1,619,507,000 won 3,000,723,000 won 2,424,763,000 won 2,398,883,057 won 2,068,894,000 won No. of local governments 61 108 118 130 134 129
No. literacy education organizations
(region-based organizations)

No. of learners 14,668 18,832 25,579 24,638 23,778 20,135

178 356 439 353 (23) 348 (27) 360 (24)

*National Institute for Lifelong Education(2011)

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Rebirth of NILE
http://eng.nile.or.kr No.9. 2012